Metallic Webs
by Legacy Now
Summary: Gone/Nine Months Alone chaptered story. Thrash In has to choose between her mother and the friends who been beside her loyally. Will she find the right decision for herself, or will it kill her only best friend and possible love interest?
1. Which Side?

**Metallic Webs**

_Chapter One_

_Which Side?_

* * *

_Yes, I'm a beast, and I feast when I conquer_  
_But I'm alone on my throne, all these riches_  
_I came this way all this way, just to say_

_This time won't you save me?_  
_Baby, I can feel myself giving up_  
_This time won't you save me?_

**_- Save Me – Nicki Minaj_**

* * *

"This is about family, Thrash In," the spiderlike bot said as debris began to crack and fall around them. "_I am_ your family."

Painful grunts left Cliffjumper as the heavy iron ore against his frame pressed him to the ground. Any sign of movement also moved against the great bar that was against him, causing him more pain.

"Thrash In…" she heard her only Cybertronian friend grunt in agony. "Run…! Get away from her!"

There was an odd reading of radiation near the Southeast Asian coast. Both Cliffjumper and Thrash In were assigned to look into the area to see if any more Cybertronian life came to Earth, and who could have guessed they would have ran into Airachnid.

For so long, Thrash In didn't have her mother around. For so long, Thrash In and her father, Breakdown both had to live life without Airachnid. And she was fine with it. Yet, day after day, she couldn't help but feel emptiness in her chassis and spark, that hollowness inside of her that wouldn't fill up, and could never feel complete.

When she met her mother for the first time, she didn't know what to say to Airachnid, since she was gone ever since Thrash In was born. Everybody else wanted Airachnid gone as much as she did, though she was her biological mother. She had to get to know her a little… even though Airachnid just about made Thrash In the most miserable out of everyone who also saw the spider that day.

But this time, what Airachnid had to say to her was way beyond bizarre.

"Cybertron is alive…!" she began, violet optics glowing brighter. "Survivors are already there, rebuilding our home."

As out there as it sounded, part of Thrash In wanted what she heard to be a fictional tale out of Airachnid's unreliable mouth… yet at the same time she wanted her home planet that she never knew to be alive again.

Thrash In was born on Earth, but she wasn't part of the human race. She knew Grace Darby, her brother Zane, Izzy Esquivel, and Asuna Kamiya. She got along with her human friends, since their parents knew of their existence before the Great War ended years ago. With anti-Cybertronian organizations such as the Neo Luddites, she couldn't help but feel more like an outsider, which didn't help the fact of the pedigree from her mother.

Though, when she was with Cliff… She didn't feel those feelings of indifference at all. All was normal when she was around him. When everyone else left her, or never honestly understood her, he was still there at the end of the day. Out of all the chaos that happened around her, he was the only thing around her that made sense. They knew each other ever since they were sparklings, and were the only Earth born Cybertronians. Their mothers didn't get along with each other, but somehow they managed to be the best of friends.

And she was about to be the only Earth raised Cybertronian if she didn't do anything to save Cliffjumper in the next minute or two.

"We can start over again, Thrash In, just the two of us…!" Airachnid continued. "We can continue our lives on Cybertron, our home. The planet that holds your origins, our people!

Cliffjumper's life was in danger. He was dying. But here, she had her biological mother, telling her that her home planet was founded again. That it was being rebuilt.

If she left Cliffjumper under the debris, what else would she also lose?

_Dad, Optimus, Grace, Asuna, Izzy, Earth- _

Home?

… _Cliffjumper. _

But if she found her home again… she wouldn't have to face everyone who hated her. She wouldn't have to face getting weird looks from everyone… even if they were from her own species.

She looked up into her mother's great eyes, finally seeing an expression of need across her face. Was she really willing to be a mother after all she did?

"Come with me…" Airachnid began. "I love you… my child!"

Turning, she looked to see Cliffjumper's ruby optics looking back at her with an expression that tore through Thrash In's insides. Closing her eyes, she bit her lip, feeling a trail of lubricant rolling down her face plate.

_I'm so sorry, Cliffjumper… _

And the first step she took felt heavier than ever before.

* * *

_**Note*~** _

_Helloz, peoplez! Legacy Now/PiedatheMokona here with another story. _

_This story ties in with the Gone/Nine Months Alone universe continutity of my stories/fanon, so if you want to know the info there, you kind of have to read those stories... _

_So here is my winter project! More fanbaby generation stories, and this would be the first chaptered story for the saga. The moment you've been waiting for, little Cliffjumper and Thrash In are getting togetherrrrr ^.^ Hope you stay around for more. :) _

_And with the Nicki Minaj reference at the beginning, I honestly don't like her, but I was going through lyrics, and I really liked the content of the song, then I found out it was a NM song... An aquantance of mine says that her face scares her. :D _

_Hope you stay for more and you like this first chapter. ^.^ _

_XOXO_


	2. Operation: Rescue Mission

**Metallic Webs**

Chapter Two

Operation: Rescue Mission

* * *

Coming to, Cliffjumper found himself staring at the ceiling lights, his head throbbing in massive waves.

What happened again?

He was heading on the Ground Bridge... with Thrash In. They were heading to Indonesia to inspect an unusual strain of radiation that may be extraterrestrial, but then they ran into...

_Airachnid. _

His optics just about popped out from overly dilating. _  
_

_"Thrash In...!"_

His insides pulled in pain as he tried to pull himself up. He could hear himself moan. His innards weren't the only thing that was causing hurt. And it wasn't Grace this time.

"Cliff...!" his mother just about attacked him with her rushed embrace.

He could feel his mother's arms just about choking him as he heard Ratchet telling Arcee to take it easy. The warning from the medic finally allowed Cliffjumper some space.

"Cliff, what happened?" Grace's voice sounded.

He couldn't see the small human, but Cliffjumper knew she was probably somewhere close near by.

Everyone wanted to know what happened to make him have such an injury. He could ask the same thing, when he was out for such a long time.

"We used the Ground Bridge to bring you out, but you seem to sustain minor damage," explained the veteran medic. "It seems it's from a gun shot... where's Thrash In?"

The air suddenly grew dense as Cliffjumper looked away from everyone else. His frame began to feel more tense as each second passed. How was he going to find the words to tell them? This was going to be more than painful. Once he saw Uncle Breakdown's face, Cliffjumper could see what the heavy ton ex-Con was feeling.

"We... we were on the trail of the radiation leak..." he began. "And then... we found Airachnid."

"No..." Breakdown turned away, barely audible.

He looked up to see stares of dread upon his uncles, though when he faced his mother's, he knew she was grinding her axes.

"And everything's a blur from there..." he finished. "She... she must've followed her. I've heard Airachnid saying something about Cybertron... coming back."

A more pungent atmosphere filled the room. The silence was just as loud, a dropping pin could be heard.

Bumblebee then made a few whistles and clicks.

"Cybertron, alive?" began Bulkhead. "That's just a load of hooey!"

"Cybertron had been snuffed out for eons," began Ratchet. "There's no way it can be brought back."

"This is Airachnid we're talking about," began Arcee, undertone of silent rage beneath her turquoise optics. "She _always_ lies."

As much as it sounded impossible, Cliffjumper hoped that what Airachnid said was true. Did the home of his ancestors really did come back? His people would come back together. And he would finally know the origins of his home. The uncles would tell him stories of their home before the war. How it was prosperous in its riches. Joy and merriment was filled among its citizens. Cliffjumper never did get to see Cybertron in its full glory. But now there was a chance... was this really all true?

Once he was able to get up on his feet and move about, he saw Breakdown standing, though he seemed to be far away. The young mech walked up to where he was standing.

"I'm sure she's alright, Uncle Breakdown," began Cliffjumper. "She can take care of herself, and... she is with her mother."

An uneasy smile came across Breakdown.

"Yeah... I hope so," he uttered. "Sometimes me and Thrash do nothing but argue, she must've got it from me, but the first time I held her when she was born... I knew I had to be a father to her. If her mother wasn't going to be around, I had to. Even though it was hard and I wanted to back down every time I thought I did something wrong... I still loved her at the end of the day."

Cliffjumper placed a hand on Breakdown's shoulder. "We'll find her... I know it. One way or another."

This time, Breakdown's smile turned a little happier, Cliffjumper almost swore he saw a drop of lubricant in the corner of the mighty mech's eye.

"Thank you..." he muttered. "Thanks, Cliff... For being a good friend to her. It's what she needs after all she's been through. I just hope she's safe..."

Their frames went into a form of a comrade embrace. Inside, Cliffjumper could feel Breakdown's worry. After all, he was Thrash In's father, but in the commotion... Cliffjumper was just as worried as well.

What made Thrash In decide to side with Airachnid? After all Airachnid did to her, his only Cybertronian friend which he thought he knew so well still went with her. Airachnid was unfit to be a mother. She did nothing but made her life miserable. How could Thrash In do that to everyone in her life? How could she do this... to him? And leave him behind.

He liked her... He _loved_ her. They knew each other since they were sparklings, grew up together on the same planet, knew the same people. The way her golden optics glowed every time he looked into them. When her purple finish shined as she drove in the night. They _danced_ together at Grace's summer celebration. Did that meant anything to her at all?

For a moment, he thought that his feelings were untrue, since she was the only Cybertronian friend of his, who was a girl. His mother was against them being friends from the start. He was just about to reconsider, even confess to her when the time was right this summer, but now she was gone... His insides felt hollow and dented.

What should he think? What should he do? He didn't have words on what Thrash In just did. He couldn't even place what to feel.

He felt something pounding against his foot and looked down to see Grace was trying to get his attention.

"Earth to Cliff, come in, Cliff...!" she whispered, then more clearly when she got his attention. "It's going to be okay."

Grace was a completely different species than Cliffjumper, though when push came to shove, she knew exactly what to say to him.

"Thanks, meatbag..." he smiled, finding that this was one of the rare moments when she wasn't being annoying and trying to pair him up with Thrash In.

A mild blare from the monitor showed up on the screen and Ratchet immediately started typing.

"I've locked onto Thrash In's signal," the medic bot said. "We still have her locator chip on. Now if we strengthen the signal of the radius..."

A few more clacks of the keyboard, and the image on the screen turned more crisp, indicating the precise coordinates.

"It may not be precise, but at least we know where they're relatively are," said Ratchet.

"I have called Special Agent Hawkins to arrange special transpiration if we are going to leave Earth," said Optimus. "Thrash In is one of us, even though she is Airachnid's daughter. Everyone must have a second chance, regardless of their relations."

Optimus Prime was one of the most regal, insightful bots out of all the uncles, and Cliffjumper was glad that he was on Earth with the rest of the surviving Cybertronians. He gave wonderful advice, not only to him and Thrash In, but also taught Grace, Zane, Izzy, and Asuna. Cliffjumper was grateful to have came across Optimus, when their race was scarce and few.

As Cliffjumper started to walk away, he felt a sharp hand grabbing at his wrist, and he turned around to see his mother stopped him.

"You're not going," she began bluntly. "Let Uncle Breakdown and everyone else take care of it, but stay out of this. You're safer on Earth, Cliff."

"But, mom, she's my friend...!" said Cliffjumper. "She needs me more than anyone else going, I gotta go with."

"You don't know what you're dealing with, Cliffjumper." When Arcee said his full name, she seriously meant business, with serious consequences if he disobeyed what he was told to do. "You haven't dealt with Airachnid like _I_ had."

His brow suddenly scrunched. The story began to sound in his audio sensors. Not this again... he just about had enough.

"You know what, mom? I'm _tired_ of you telling me the same story over and over again," he felt the edge in his voice brewing over. "Airachnid killed this guy, Airachnid killed that guy, it was _eons_ ago. I'm sure it was painful, and I'm sure you were hurt, but honestly,_ let it go_."

"You don't know what I went through, Cliffjumper," there was an edge in Arcee's voice as well. "She took everything from me, she pinned me up on Cybertron, just about killed Uncle Jack, and you expect me to forget about it? Out of anyone who I expect to betray me, I never thought I'd hear something like that coming out from you, my own son...!"

The feud was getting over the boiling point if any side lost any signs of rationality. Cliffjumper loved his mother very much. He respected her for her strength, even put up that she hid the fact that his father was a Decepticon for so many years... Now, he couldn't even recognize was what in front of him.

"If you want to stop the chain of violence, you can start by letting go," began Cliffjumper. "You told me once, you never want anyone, including me, to go through what you had to go through. If you want this to stop, you can start by helping Thrash In. She needs it more than I do."

Turning from his mother, he never felt his insides felt so hollow... yet heavy at the same time.

* * *

_**Note*~** _

_I toast this chapter to **Sounddrive**, for her survival and struggle of something that recently happened to her, but she has pulled through. *heart* To brighter days._


End file.
